Must Have Free Resources for Beginner Bloggers

 

Free Resources and Platforms For Your New Blog

So you’ve taken the leap and created your very own blog or website! Yay, you! But now what? Aside from content creation, you also need to think about traffic, ads, affiliate programs, social media, etc. It can seem daunting. And expensive. Well, fear not! I’ve put together a list of useful FREE resources for beginner bloggers to help you get started.

This post contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own. Read my full disclosure here.

 

Heads up! This post is just a taste of some free goodies.
Be sure to check this one out too:
Huge List a Free Courses, Tools & Resources For New Bloggers

 

In no particular order, here are some awesome and FREE steps you can take to really help get your new blog off the ground.

 

Pinterest Business Account

Pinterest is a HUGE source of traffic for bloggers. Personally, Pinterest is my top source for blog traffic! It’s basically a massive, visual search engine with endless information.

Joining as a business gives you an inside look at how your pins are performing using Pinterest Analytics. It allows you to see what pins are getting the most views, clicks, saves and by who. You’ll quickly learn who your audience is and what they are craving. That’s such a powerful tool!

You’ll see what’s working and what’s not. Thus, you can keep sharing the popular content and grow from there! 

Learn how to properly set up your business account here.

Related Reading:
How to Get Started Making Money With Pinterest
Free Pinterest Pin Templates
The Secret to Getting Massive Traffic From Pinterest

 

Canva

You’ll need to create engaging images for your blog posts and to also create pins to promote those posts on Pinterest. No need for fancy and expensive software. Canva allows you to create beautiful pins and graphics for free!

No design skills? No problem.

Canva offers beautiful templates to help get you started. Your designs are all saved for you to return back to later and access your branded colours and images. This makes branding your pins so simple.

They have a free version and a premium paid version. But the free one is very impressive and versatile.

Sign up for free here.

 

 

MailerLite

It’s important to begin growing your email list as soon as possible. MailerLite is your best bet for creating and maintaining your email list when you are starting out.

You’ll hear the saying often, “the money is in the list”. And if done correctly, email marketing can be VERY lucrative.

(Learn how to get subscribers in this free mini-course by email guru, Kate Doster.)

A lot of bloggers start with MailChimp (I was one of them). But I struggled with the platform a lot. For me, it was quite confusing and I didn’t love the overall look of my forms and landing pages when I finally did figure out how it all worked.

I made the switch to MailerLite and wish I’d done it sooner! It’s much more user-friendly and offers better features on the free version.

You can send unlimited email campaigns, create beautiful landing pages, and customize absolutely everything! And it’s free for your first 1000 Subscribers!

There are also lots of helpful video tutorials on YouTube if you get stuck on anything.

Sign up for your free account here.

 

ShareASale

ShareASale is an Affiliate Marketing Network. You’ll find lots of merchants in various niches who are looking for bloggers to promote their products.

Ever wonder where bloggers get those ads that run down the sidebar of their blog posts? Find a merchant that fits your niche and they’ll provide you with those sidebar ads.

You can also create a custom referral link for specific products they sell. There are fantastic merchants like Stella & Dot, Gymboree, and Wayfair looking for promoters. 

Join Shareasale for free here.

 

 

 

Blogging Terminology Cheat Sheets

Hit the easy button when it comes to understanding blogging and social media terminology and abbreviations!

You are going to come across so many new terms and abbreviations on your blogging journey. I created these cheat sheets to help new bloggers navigate and understand blogging language.

Print them off and keep them handy so you don’t have to stop learning to Google each new term you encounter. Did I mention they’re free? 

Grab your free copy HERE. Enjoy!

 

Sendowl

Sendowl is an online platform for creative entrepreneurs who have digital products to sell. If you are just starting out you likely won’t have a product to sell yet. BUT, tons of bloggers do. And lots of them offer affiliate programs through Sendowl.

So if you have a blogger you admire, reach out to them. Chances are if they have a digital product (like an E-book) they’re likely looking for affiliates to promote their products.

Failing that, Sendowl also has its own affiliate program. You can earn a commission just by referring others to join. They offer a 20% recurring commission for every sign up you refer.

You can sign up here.

If you want to learn more about Sendowl, check out my post: How I Use Sendowl to Make Consistent Affiliate Income.

 

Legal Course for Bloggers

As though starting a blog wasn’t overwhelming enough, you also have to make sure your blog or website is operating legally.

What legal pages you need will depend on exactly what you are hoping to do with your blog. But you will at least need a privacy policy, terms/conditions, and disclaimers/disclosures pages.

DO NOT do what I did as a beginner and use a generic privacy policy via Google. I made that mistake by cutting and pasting something I found online. Big blogging no-no!

Don’t panic if you have absolutely no idea where to start. You can actually learn all the ins and outs of blogging legally with a FREE legal course for bloggers!

This course will teach you how to protect your blog legally and how to meet all the legal requirements. Once you are done the free course you are given a 15% off coupon code in case you want to take any other legal courses or need to get any of the legal templates.

You can learn more about this course in this post: Free Legal Course for Bloggers 

 

 

Grammarly

Grammarly is the World’s leading checker of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and plagiarism. It’s free, easy to install and works all over your computer, not just your blog. Anywhere you type online, it will check your spelling (and more).

I’m not someone who struggles much with grammar but I saw a drastic improvement in my writing after installing it. The better your writing, the more credible you will seem to your readers.

Check it out HERE.

 

 

Amazon

You can join Amazon as an Associate for free and place product referrals on your blog or website. If that referral leads to a sale, any sale, you get a commission!

The Amazon Associates Program is one of the largest and most successful online affiliate programs out there and they make it really easy to use.

To join or just get more info, simply scroll to the bottom of Amazon.ca or Amazon.com and find “become an associate” OR go here (Canada) or here (US). Once you join you have 180 days to make your first sale.

If you really want to make the most of your 180 trial period and ensure you make that first sale, check out this helpful E-book: Journey to the Center of Amazon. 

It’s a small investment but will pay for itself quickly. The author makes between $4,000-$5,000 a month with Amazon!! 

 

P.S. You may also like this FREE guide on how to earn more commissions on Amazon: 7 Insider Tips to Earn More on Amazon Associates.

 

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Related Reading: How to Get Started as an Amazon Associate

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YouTube

If you’re struggling with setting up accounts or just general use of any of these free resources, head on over to YouTube (also free).

There is almost always a video tutorial to guide you through anything you are struggling with. It can be so valuable to watch and follow along as someone gives you specific instructions.

 

Social Media

Never underestimate the power of social media. If you don’t already have accounts, it’s time to join Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to grow your brand. All are free to join.

Here are a couple of Pinterest boards to follow for relevant tips on gaining success through social media:

 

Facebook Groups

Speaking of social media, I can’t tell you how valuable some great Facebook Groups can be.

When you’re starting out it can seem like nothing you do is bringing you the traffic you want. But by joining the right Facebook groups that offer promo days and insightful tips, you can finally start seeing your blog traffic and social media engagement grow like crazy!

These are some of my faves: The Best Facebook Groups to Grow Your Blog

 

Final Thoughts on Free Blogging Resources for Beginners

These are just a few of my favourite, helpful tools to use in your early blogging days. There are many more of course, but these are the ones I used to get started and continue to use today.

They are all fairly easy to navigate and set up, even for a total newbie. If I can figure them out, so can you! Give them a try and see for yourself!

 

P.S. If you’re a beginner blogger you may already be getting overwhelmed with all the decisions you need to make and all the information there is to learn.

I was once like you. That’s why I created something just for folks like us. A way to learn a little bit about a bunch of blogging topics, without spending a fortune or having to buy a course on each one upfront.

Introducing my Build a Successful Blog Bundle for beginners!

This bundle is essentially 6 eBooks in 1 (plus a pretty great bonus section).

In it you’ll learn the basics about:
• starting a blog
• SEO
• affiliate marketing
• email marketing
• blogging legally
• and Pinterest marketing

You’ll get a mini eBook about each topic that covers the basic information beginners need to know, who to trust as experts on each topic, and what resources are worth looking into when you’re ready to learn more. Plus tips to try and mistakes to avoid!

If you want to learn foundational information that will help you start your blog on the right foot, without having to buy a course on each individual subject (until you can afford to), this is the bundle for you! Learn more HERE.

 

Want even MORE free blogging resources?
Check out:
–Free Training Courses for Beginner Bloggers
-Huge List a Free Courses, Tools & Resources For New Bloggers

 

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Free Resources for New Bloggers

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Blogging Resources I love and recommend:

SiteGround – I use SiteGround as my web hosting platform and I love it. They are trusted by the owners of over 1,900,000 domains! It’s secure, fast, reliable, and the customer service is AMAZING! I’ve contacted them for help for a few reasons and received outstanding support. Learn more about SiteGround HERE.

Sendowl – I use Sendowl to sell my own digital products. Sendowl acts as the middle man between buyer and seller. They deliver your product and handle the payments for you. If you’ve got an eBook, printable, or service to sell, Sendowl makes it really easy and affordable. Learn more about Sendowl HERE.  

ShareASale – If you are interested in monetizing your blog through affiliate marketing, ShareASale has got to be one of the easiest ways to do it! They’ve got merchants for every niche looking for affiliates to promote their products. Learn more about ShareASale HERE.

Grammarly – I saw a huge improvement in my writing after installing Grammarly. It’s the World’s leading checker of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and plagiarism. The better your writing, the more credible you will seem to you readers. Did I mention they have a FREE version? Check it out HERE.